Good Things Homeschoolers Miss Out On & What to do About It

This year I have 2 seniors in high school! I’ve been homeschooling for 13 years, and although I still feel that homeschooling is the best for my kids and my family, I know there are some good things they might have missed as part of their education if I hadn’t been vigilant. Today, I’m sharing what good things homeschoolers miss out on & what to do about it.

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Performing Opportunities

Just because your students are homeschooled doesn’t mean they have to miss out on performing in a play or being in a musical group such as a band, choir, or orchestra. Check in your area to see what community theater groups are available. My kids have participated in our local Christian Youth Theater for years.

(Photo credit: Jennifer Heim Photography)

Call the schools and see if they allow homeschoolers to join their music groups. Several of my kids participated in a nearby Christian school’s band.

Some cities have huge homeschool choirs. Or, add music performing groups to your homeschool co-op!

Sports

Sports are still an option for homeschoolers! Of course, there are the leagues, such as Little League, that aren’t associated with the school system that you can join. My oldest son did this for football in 7th grade.

There are also some schools that will allow homeschoolers. Each school and district (and even state) is different because they have to follow certain guidelines for eligibility. But, if sports are important, go ahead and check and see if it’s what you want for your student.

And, hopefully, your area is like mine, where you can find a large number of other sports that are specifically for homeschoolers, such as basketball, volleyball, track, cross country, and soccer. Some of these teams compete against private schools.

Advanced Classes

Let’s face it. There are some advanced classes that are difficult to do at home. But, there are lots of options for these. Online courses in various formats (live, self-paced, etc.) are increasing every year.

Homeschool co-ops and local learning centers often offer these kinds of classes. This year my oldest daughter is taking advanced biology at our homeschool co-op.

Check with your local public or private school. My second son took physics, graphic design, and woodworking at our public high school. This year, as a senior in high school, he took pre-calculus, chemistry, and calculus 1 at the local community college.

Clubs

Many public high schools offer a plethora of after-school club opportunities– on every subject and topic you can possibly think of. Obviously, you or your student can simply start your own club. Invite friends, set a meeting date, and get started!

Here are a few options:

• Sewing and Crafting
• Service (volunteer someplace different each month)

• Geo-caching
• Nature Study
• Entrepreneurship (learn about starting your own business and support each other)

There are also online clubs. Kids can complete lessons to learn about photography or graphic design, then put what they learn into action with digital projects.

They share the photos of their creations and review each other’s work. Plus, they’ll gain valuable experience in online collaboration and etiquette as they participate in the supervised discussions.